Display and dispensing device for a stack of packages



March 19, 1957 R. J. SHAW 2,785,843

DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR A STACK OF PACKAGES I Filed June 26, 1956 2 Shets-Sheet l Yum" March 19, 1957 R. J. SHAW DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR 'A smcx QF PACKAGES Filed June 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,785,843 3 new aw 195?.

DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR A STACK F PACKAGES Robert J. Shaw, New York, N. Y., assignor to Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Virginia Application June 26, 1956, Serial No. 593371 3 Claims (Cl. 22917) The present invention relates to display and dispensing devices for stacks of packages and is, more particularly, designed for housing therein a stack or plurality of rectangular packages adapted to be removed one at a time through a face slot.

A general object of the present invention is to provide such a display and dispensing device, preferably as a structure constructed by folding a one-piece blank of relatively stiff material in a simple manner, which may be employed to advantage slidably to receive therein an elongated open-face carton or tray in which a plurality of rectangular packages are nested on edge to provide a stack when the tray is upended with the bottom package in the stack disposed opposite a transverse front slot for withdrawal, the stack preferably being oriented obliquely both to enhance the appearance of the display and also to assure secure seating and retention in the device of the packages resting on the bottom package when the latter is withdrawn through the slot while avoiding jamming at the slot.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide such a device which may be employed to advantage in displaying and dispensing a plurality of rectangular packages of cigarettes to be shipped and distributed in an elongated rectangular carton with the packages arranged on edge therein and with the top face of the carton readily removable to provide an open-face tray easily slid into the device for dispensing successively from the latter the packages of cigarettes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a display and dispensing device which is foldable to a flat knock-down condition for ready shipment and handling and which can be easily and quickly set up for reception of such a loaded carton or tray of cigarettes.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of such an economically and readily constructed display and dispensing device which limits removal therefrom at a time of a single pack thereby reducing shoplifting losses which are attendant upon a display of a plurality of such packs in the conventional manner, i. e., in a carton supported laterally with its top folded back to provide easy access to all of the packs disposed flat in thetop tier, usually five thereof, permitting simultaneous pilfering of a plurality of the packs.

Additional objects of the invention are the provisions in display and dispensing embodiments of the present device, particularly adapted to display and delivery of packs of cigarettes, of the following advantageous features. Such embodiments take up a minimum of counter space, e. g., a space of about 3 2 inches by 3 inches as contrasted with a space of about 6% inches by 12% inches occupied by a conventional display, and their relatively small size make them more desirable for and encourage a foreground position at the point of sale. Automatic rotation of stock in these displays as the packs are dispensed therefrom assures freshness thereof. The conventional displays usually hold two or more cartons of cigarettes and since the embodiment of. the device illustrated and described herein by way of example is designed to hold one carton it will be helpful to and satisfy the desires of dealers who wish to purchase on initial orders only small stocks of secondary or less popular brands and to maintain minimum stocks thereof.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a structural embodiment of the device which can be easily constructed, readily set up and which perrnits efiicient use and operation thereof.

Gther objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following etailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Fig. l is a plan view of a preferred form of a one-piece blank which may be folded to form an embodiment of the display and dispensing device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the display and dispensing device of the present invention partially constructed by folding and manipulating parts of the blank illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2, with parts broken away, illustrating other folding and manipulative steps in constructing and setting up the finished display.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the finished display and dispensing device as set up for reception of a stack of rectangular packages therein, preferably as arranged on edge in a rectangular open-face tray; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section from front to back of the finished display and dispensing device, showing such a tray of packages loaded therein for dispensation one at a time and illustrating the bottom package in the stack in a position of partial withdrawal.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals iden-- tify similar parts throughout, it will be seen that the defined from the main section 11 by a transverse fold- .line 15 and is provided additionally with longitudinallyspaced transverse fold lines 16, 17 and 13 respectively to define substantially rectangular parts or elements 19, 2t), 21 and 22 to serve respectively as the flat bottom or supporting panel, the vertical front panel, a downwardly and rearwardly sloping shelf element and a vertical backwall element of a rectangular base portion 23 as will be seen from Figs. 2 to 5 incl. The shelf element 21 is provided on both sides with rearwardly-extending side marginal hook means, preferably by increasing the width thereof to form side wings 24, 2% into which are cut lon-' gitudinal slots 25, 25 substantially aligned with the side edges 26, 26, as will be best seen in Fig. 1 and for a purpose to be explained later. One shelf side edge 26 is substantially aligned with the side edge 14 of the minor section 12 and the other shelf side edge 26 is substantially aligned with the opposite side edge 27 tion. I

The main section 11 is provided with abut-away of the minor sec-J T-shaped slot 28 in the lower portion thereof adjacent the transverse bottom edge 29 which, as will be seen from Fig. 1, extends laterally substantially normal to the side edge 27 of the minor section 12. The T-shaped slot 28 has a transverse bar portion 30 which defines the lower or bottom edge 31 of a substantially rectangular front wall panel 32 of a superstructure portion 33 indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. Side edges of the front wall panel 32 are defined by a pair of laterally-spaced parallel fold lines 34 and 35 which extend longitudinally from the bottom edge 31 to the opposite transverse top edge 36 of the main section 11. The staff portion 37 of the T-shaped slot 28 extends longitudinally from and substantially normal to the transverse bottom edge 29 of the main section 11 to the transverse bar portion 30 of the slot, as is shown in v.

Fig. 1. A third longitudinal fold line 38 extends across the main section 11 substantially parallel to and flanking the right side of the front wall panel 32, being laterally spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the fold line 35 and substantially aligned with the side edge I 27 of the minor section 12. The transverse fold line 15,.

the longitudinal fold line 38 and the right side edge 13 define with a portion of the transverse top edge 26 a back wall panel 39 of the superstructure, and a transverse fold line 40 extending across this back wall panel from a point 41 on the fold line 38 to the edge 13 defines a back wall panel extension 42 constituting a part of a top zone 43 for a purpose to be explained later. A fourth longitudinal fold line 44 extends from the bottom transverse edge 29 to the top transverse edge 36 of the main section 11 flanking to the left the front wall panel section 32 and is spaced from the fold line 34 a distance substantially equal to the spacing between the fold lines 35 and 38. There is thus defined between the I fold line 44 and the left side edge 45 of the main section 11 a relatively narrow panel or strip 46 to be used as an anchored or glued flap in setting up the display and dispensing device, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. A transverse fold line 47 substantially aligned with the transverse fold line 40 extends from a point 48 to the left side edge 45 so that together they define the top zone 43.

The bottom marginal zone adjacent the bottom edge 29 of the main section 11 is shaped as shown in Fig. l and provided with a transverse fold line 49 to define with the staff portion 37 of the T-shaped slot 28 a pair of edge flaps 50 and 51 with ends thereof respectively defined by notches 52, and 53. On opposite sides or" the staff portion 37 of the T-shaped slot 28 bottom edges 54 and 55 of the transverse bar po1tion'30 thereof are arranged obliquely in reverse order, as shown in Fig. 1, and oblique fold lines 56 and 57 are provided to extend substan:

tially parallel to these edges to define respectively with slits 58 and 59 small flaps 60 and 61. The slits 58 and 59 are aligned with end edges 62 and 63 of the bar portion 30 of the T -shaped slot 28 and additional slits 64 and 65 extend from these slot end edges respectively diagonally up to the points 48 and 41, so to subdivide sidewall structures respectively between the fold lines 34 and 44 and 35 and 38 into triangular areas. As will be more fully understood in connection with the description of the display and dispensing device as set up for use, the left sidewall structure has a front downwardly-extending triangular part 66 and an upwardly-extending rear triangularpart 67, with the right sidewall structure being provided with similar but reversely-shaped front downwardly-extending triangular part 68 and a rear up-' backwall extension 42 defined above transverse fold line 40 disposed in the transverse plane, in the manner hereinafter explained.

vide the display and dispensing device embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, the parts may be manipulated and secured together in the following, manner. The main section 11 will be folded along the longitudinal fold lines 38, 35, 34 and 44 to form a generally rectangular tubular superstructure 33, as may be readily seen in Fig. 4, with the zone 43 defining above the mentioned transverse plane a rectangular tubular top' section serving as a receptive sleeve defined by the backwall panel extension 42, the front wallpanel extension 70 and the sidewall structure extensions71 and 72. The side flap 46 will be securely glued or otherwise fixed to the margin of the backwall panel 39 adjacent the right side edge 13 thereof to hold such rectangular sleeve structure in shape, and it will be understood that the same may be collapsed sideways for flat packing if, the base portion, as provided by the minor section 12, the bottom parts 82 and 83 of the L-shaped' side structure sections and flaps 50, 51, 60 and 61 are left flat and unconnected to other parts.

The front wall panel 32 and the tubular top section defined by zone 43 may, when expanded to sleeve form, be swung outwardly away from the backwall panel 39, as proposed in Fig. 2, for access to the bridge wing 78 and bracing flap 79. The bridge wing 78 will be swung inwardly along fold lines 75 and 76 to the position indicated in Fig. 3 to provide an oblique upwardly-extending guiding edge 84, as indicated in Fig. 3, and then the bracing element or flap 79 will be swung down from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2 to interengage the notches 80 and 81, thereby locking the bridge wing in the forwardly projecting position shown.

Thereafter or, if desired, prior to the formation of such 60 and51 and 61 respectively on sidewall parts 67 and 69 will then be folded inwardly to be swung inward to ward each other with forward swing of these sidewall parts toward parallelism, as indicated in Fig. 2, to bctween the base portionbottom panel 19 and the shelf element 21. When the sidewall parts 67 and 69 are swung to parallelism the shelf element 21 is slid rearwardly to engage the'front edges 62 and 63' of these sidewall parts in thenotches 25, 25 of the shelf element, with engagement of the hook wings 24, 24 against the outside faces of the sidewall parts, as indicated in Fig. 3. As the shelf element 21 is slid rearwardly the terminal flap 22 carried thereby will be moved back to an upright or vertical position to constitute the backwall of base portion 23, and

to lie against the inside'face of the lower part of the backwall panel 39 for support, as shown in Fig. 5. If the" front wall panel 32 is then swung back the set up structure will have the appearance depicted in Fig. 4 and will be ready for reception ther e'in of a'stack of rectangular packages. v 7

Let it be assumed that the stack of rectangular packages are in the form of a plurality of rectangular packs of cigarettes -85 mounted on edge in an open-face elongated rectangular carton or tray' 86. The tray, 86

may be the bottom section of a carton with the top removed. The space between the back wall extension 42 and the front wall extension 76, constituting parts of the tubular top or sleeve section 43, preferably is such as snugly to receive therebetween the tray 86 with the stack of packages 8585 therein, as will be understood from Fig. 5. Likewise the space between the front edge 84 of the bridge wing or projection 78 and the inside face of the front wall panel will be of similar dimension for a like purpose. In fact, the front edge 84 of the projecting bridge 78 will guide the bottom 87 of tray 86 obliquely down to rest the bottom end of the tray on the shelf element 21 for secure support thereon with the plurality of packs 8585 arranged in a stack extending substantially normal therefrom, as illustrated in Fig. 5. This causes the tray 86 and the stack of packs 85-85 to swing the front wall panel to the shown oblique position for disposition in an oblique plane extending substantially normal to the shelf element 21, and thereby swinging the front sidewall parts 66 and 68 forward therewith away from the rear sidewall parts 67 and 69. As a result, the sidewall structures are of trapezoidal shape in the loaded display and dispensing device, as will be understood from Fig. 5. Consequently, there is exposed in the slot between the bottom edge 31 of the front wall panel 32 and the shelf element 21 at least a side edge of the bottom pack 185 in the stack, with those portions of the ends thereof which extend beyond the tray sidewalls being exposed forward of the front edges 62 and 63 of the sidewall structures for grip between thumb and finger to allow withdrawal forward, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Upon removal in this manner of the bottom pack 185, the remaining packs 85-85 slide downward between the bottom of the tray 86 and the front wall panel 32 to expose the next succeeding pack in the withdrawal slot. Although the bottom edge 31 of the front wall panel 32 is shown shaped to provide a notch therein, this is not essential to such withdrawal of the bottom pack, but it may be preferred to expose portions of edges of packs above the bottom pack for observation of identifying or advertising material thereon.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A blank for a folded one-piece display and dispensing device comprising a sheet of relatively rigid material having a general outline of a substantially rectangular main section and an elongated substantially rectangular minor section extending from one corner of said main section with adjacent side edges of ham substantially aligned, said minor section being foldable transversely to provide the front and back walls and a downwardly and backwardly sloping top shelf element of a rectangular base portion with the shelf element having rearwardly-extending side marginal hook means, said main section having a cut away T-shaped slot in the lower portion adjacent its bottom edge which extends laterally normal to said minor section, the transverse bar portion of said slot defining the lower edge of a substantially rectangular front wall panel of a superstructure portion with side edges of said panel being defined by a pair of laterally-spaced parallel fold lines extending longitudinally from said slot bar portion to the opposite top edge of said main section, said main section having another third longitudinal fold line extending parallel to and flanking said mentioned pair of fold lines on one side and aligned with the other side edge of said minor section to define with the side edge of said main section which is aligned with the first-mentioned side edge of said minor section a rectangular superstructure back wall panel, said main section having a fourth longitudinal fold line extending parallel to and flanking said mentioned pair of fold lines on the other side, each of the resulting pair of panel structure portions so defined to opposite sides of said superstructure front panel constituting generally L-shaped laterally-spaced portions arranged in opposed reverse order with the upwardly-extending staff part of each constituting side wall structure of the superstructure and the lateral bottom part of each constituting a side wall panel of the base portion with said shelf element adapted to seat on the top edges of both these lateral bottom parts of said L-shaped portions and with said shelf side hook means engageable of front edges of the staff parts of said L-shaped portions when the blank is folded into an upright dispensing device.

2. The blank as defined in claim 1 characterized by both of said upwardly-extending staff parts of said L-shaped portions being slit diagonally upward from terminal ends of the transverse bar of the T-shaped slot to the third and fourth longitudinal fold lines at points appreciably below the top ends of the latter, the top parts of said front and back wall panels and the side wall structures above a transverse plane passing through said points constituting a rectangular tubular section when said blank is folded into an upright dispensing device with said back wall panel being bent on a transverse line extending between said points in said transverse plane and with the bottom end of said front wall panel swung forward to dispose the latter obliquely in a plane substantially normal to said shelf element.

3. The blank as defined in claim 2 characterized by said superstructure back wall panel being slit to define therein a bridge projection opposite the bottom end of said oblique front wall panel and foldable out toward the latter to define therebetween a space approximately equal to the space between said front and back wall top parts in said rectangular tubular section when the blank is folded into an upright dispensing device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 536,544 Schmidt Mar. 26, 1895 1,099,832 Warren June 9, 1914 1,194,372 Fischer Aug. 15, 1916 1,378,534 Fitz Gerald May 17, 1921 1,782,597 Blackman Nov. 25, 1930 2,142,883 Chaney et a1. Ian. 3, 1939 2,332,721 Holm Oct. 26, 1943 2,765,906 Rossum Oct. 9, 1956 

